I have just returned from 7 days at the Gran Castillo with my wife and 2 children (aged 4 and 20 months). I believe that it offers very good value for money and anyone moaning about it not being of 5 star standard needs to take the price into account. In reality it would rate as a 4 star, although the staff and room quality would be nearer 5 star.

I will not repeat everyone else's comments as the rooms and staff etc have been well documented. The food was sometimes tepid (a consequence of high volume buffet food) but edible and Aboudoulaye on the 'show cooking' was a real character and cood the meat/fish etc well. The buffet on offer at the pool side bar was poor and not adequately heated. This could result in the breeding of bacteria and thus food poisoning. We raised this with the hotel and they took steps to put it right. good on them, so I will be interested to see if the improvement is maintained.

Some of the pools were heated and perfectly warm enough to swim or paddle in. The premises were clean and I didn't have to queue at any bars for a drink (some branded which is very good). the wine was good and all in all we had a nice time.

The entertainment had some decent outside acts and the animacion team were essentially professional dancers doing their best on other nights (one of the shows was quite funny but do not expect top notch entertainment). My 4 year old enjoyed the mini disco, pool and sand/simulated beach area near the main pool. Sadly the pool containing the water slides was not heated.

The Italian on site was average (I liked the pizza my wife was not keen on her chicken escalope) and the chinese slightly better with a nicer atmosphere.

The Marina is a pleasant 15 min walk away and worth a stroll. Car hire is reasonable and it is worth having a drive around.

All in all a nice hotel with great staff that needs to work a little on it's food temperature. Not 5 star but great value for money and worth a try.

We went half board so we could discover the island & it really is something else. All the government attractions are at €8 per person (kids half). Recommend the Autos-Feber car hire next to hotel next to "Roper conglelados," around €13 per day (insurances all included), older car, but does the job. We had the worse weather while we were there for the last 3 billion years (for this time of year) - or so they told us, if it's windy there's sun, if the wind drops - cloud. Don't bother trying to plan your day on weather predictions, just wake up & look up. This island really grew on me, so glad I got to see it. I thought I'd landed on the moon, 5km in, "one small step for man..."

This hotel is trying its very best to get a 5 star rating for all that visit on this website. The staff cannot do enough for you. Friendly, clean 5 star rooms & pleasant atmosphere. It's in the tiny details they lose out. Call it picky, but if you want the bad stuff here it is (and there isn't much of it)....

*Half board in a 5* usually includes drinks for the evening meal (everywhere except here) - it's a money pit that was a big turn off.
Turn the lift music off for the love of god! Better off without than piped baked bean tin music.
Put some more heat under those buffet trays. Semi-warm food is for motorway cafes.
Need wind breaks in the pool area (the weather type) - we saw it elsewhere on the island.
No beach - just rock. A JCB & some sand would do the trick.
No kettle in room (for a 5 star?). I nearly took my life.
Italian restaurant - unless you are having pizza, just move along, nothing to see here.
"Houston, we have a coffee problem" - drinkable, but staff need some training.

The best parts:
Abdullah on the cook hot plates - what a star...."enjoy."
Staff super pleasant & helpful.
The Hydro-thermal circuit by the gym.
Quieter location than other hotels.
Rooms fantastic, even for the basic.
The Oriental restaurant provides great Vegan food - just ask. Fantastic food (thanks Pepe - the only Chinaman with a Spanish name). Thanks Noemi, again.
You can book at any of the speciality restaurants at any time (just check when open).

The Lanzarotians seem to have a time problem - a leisurely coastal stroll to the Rubicon centre is 20 minutes, Playa Blanca - 45 minutes. Wine on this island seems to be a precious commodity even in the supermarkets, expect to pay more (€7 upwards). Petrol is cheaper than beer. Beer is cheaper than water. Tax free island, gasolina at around €1.10 litre.

Would recommend this hotel to anyone - the critical points were really for the benefit of the hotel directors (all clients take it with a pinch of salt). Would have given it 4.5 stars, but no option. Value for money & a great location depending on preferences.

Just back from 10 days in this hotel and find myself agreeing with much that has been written in recent reviews. The outstanding feature was the staff who were without exception friendly,
helpful and efficient. Our room was very comfortable with a separate lounge and spacious bathroom. Standards of cleanliness were high throughout the hotel. Food probably falls short of true 5* standards but is nonetheless very good. Some sweets and pastries on offer flatter to deceive by looking better than they taste. Some buffet dishes were not as hot as we would have wished. However there is an almost bewildering choice and freshly cooked dishes are always available. These were really excellent.
We ate in the Italian restaurant one night and were disappointed. Fellow guests who tried it however were universally complimentary as they were of the Chinese restaurant which we didn't try.
Whether the hotel is 5* or not it is certainly trying to be. We woulld certainly go back.

I visited with my girlfriend for a week on 28th Jan-3rd Feb 2012 - luckily the weather was good and was warm enough to sunbathe, as long as you stayed out of the wind and the main pool was warm enough to swim in. It was quite quiet in the hotel, which was good, there was never a problem getting a sunbed or a table at breakfast.

We stayed in a superior room and it was fantastic. We had a separate bath and shower, his and hers sinks, a sofa and a balcony...not to mention a walk-in wardrobe. The room itself was very spacious and everything was spotless.

The animation team were great, they run activities throughout the day without being too pushy or shouting each activity out as you find a some all inclusive resorts. The toning classes and early morning stretching are recommended. Evening entertainment was mixed, three evenings in the week we were there, outside entertainment was brought in which was really good, especially the African show with fire eating and extreme gymnastics!!

The food in the hotel was fantastic all of the staff were very friendly. A special mention should go to Abdullah who manned one of the hot stations and cooked me eggs, omlettes and pancakes for breakfast - he is a fantastic character and a great ambassador for the hotel. There is also an Itallian and Oriental restaurant available on the all inclusive which were both really good but you did need to book the day before.

The location was great, right on the far end of the playa blanca area away from the main tourist areas and only a short 15 min beachfront walk away from the rubicon marina on a coastal path that goes all the way to Playa Blanca centre, about 45 minutes walk away, the Rubicon Marina is the most upmarket area in playa blanca. The resort is also only a short walk away from the papagayo beaches which are quite secluded, unspoilt with no shops or cafes etc, very clean and great for relaxing (although quite popular with the nudist community!)

The transfer from the airport took about 1 hour as we were the last drop off.

I would highly recommend the grand castillo resort and would definitely go back.